POCO MAYOR LIKES PLAN TO FINE GROW-OP HOME OWNERS

Port Coquitlam is examining the idea of adopting a bylaw similar to one in
Surrey that fines homeowners up to $5,000 a day for allowing marijuana grow
operations on their properties.

"I do believe it has some merit," said PoCo Mayor Scott Young. He has asked
staff and the protective services committee to look into it.

The idea of trying to get owners to be more proactive about taking care of
their properties is what appeals to Young.

"I think that's something that's desirable," he said. "But to what extent
can you hold the landlord responsible for the goings-on, which are really
out of the control of the landlord? However, I do think it's key that at
least some sort of attempt is made by the landlord that periodic
inspections take place."

Young said cities must be careful not to single out any one segment of the
population, since rental properties are certainly not the exclusive domain
for grow-ops.

"I think the same regulations must apply to all homeowners," he said.

But Coquitlam Mayor Jon Kingsbury said fining property owners is not the
answer to dealing with grow-ops.

"We've started following the Vancouver system," Kingsbury said. Homes are
brought back up to health and safety standards before anyone is allowed to
occupy them, costs passed on to the owner. That can be quite onerous to the
owner, Kingsbury said, adding another penalty could lead to legal
entanglements between owners and property managers.

"The best solution is to make sure the house is brought back to good
standards and it's safe to inhabit. That's our prime concern," Kingsbury said.

Fees to inspect properties found with grow-ops are already charged to
owners in Coquitlam.

"We're in full-cost recovery mode, but we're not out to make a profit,"
Kingsbury said.

Although Port Moody is not immune to the problems of grow-ops, Mayor Joe
Trasolini agrees with his Coquitlam counterpart.

"I don't think that is something that I would want to look at," Trasolini
said. "There's a lot of jurisdictional issues ... I don't think council
needs to wade into that issue."

Trasolini said the real cost of marijuana grow-ops lies in the amount of
police time spent on cases.

Corp. Peter Markgraf, media liaison for the Coquitlam RCMP detachment, said
police are waiting to see if the bylaw in Surrey will hold up to legal
tests. With three officers dedicated to dealing exclusively with drug
operations, Markgraf said anything that would reduce the number of grow-ops
would be welcome.

Markgraf said the detachment's Green Team, which primarily targets drug
operations, busted 12 grow-ops from January to May this year.

Surrey city council approved the bylaw June 11 and the city is currently
preparing notices of fines to be sent out this week.

Chief Supt. Jamie Graham of the Surrey RCMP said Surrey's bylaw is just one
more tool in the arsenal to help police crack down on grow-ops. The bylaw,
he said, is geared to target landlords who profit from renting out their
properties to grow operators and is not intended to penalize landlords who
have made efforts to check out their tenants.

"We've had cases where the same residence has been rented out after a
grow-op to more people who put grow-ops in," Graham said.

A report to Surrey council in June stated the Surrey police and fire
department attended to more than 350 grow-ops and drug labs in 2000. The
average cost to the city to dismantle and clean up a grow-op is about $2,500.

In Burnaby, the city is cracking down on grow-ops through a building
inspection program approved by council last year. After receiving
notification from BC Hydro or police, city crews are sent out to confirmed
grow-op sites and charge a $300 inspection fee. The home is also declared
unfit for occupation until the owner deals with safety-related hazards.